Wat Kwuang Pao Tai

Open Days: Daily

Opening Hours: 08.00 – 17.00

 

Wat Khuang Pao Tai is located at 25 Ban Khuang Pao Tai, Moo 6, Ban Pae Subdistrict, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. It is a Mahanikaya local Buddhist temple with a long history and a close relationship with the Ban Khuang Pao Tai community. The temple was built on 9 January 1902 and covers 6 rai and 2 ngan of temple land. Its name is connected with “pao” trees that once grew abundantly in the area, giving rise to both the village name and the temple name.

 

Wat Khuang Pao Tai is a quiet community temple rather than a large tourist landmark. Its value lies in its history, village identity, and continuing role as a religious center for local residents. Community temples like this are essential to northern Thai Buddhist life because they support merit-making, Dhamma listening, Buddhist ceremonies, and the relationship between monks and lay villagers across generations.

 

The name Khuang Pao Tai reflects northern Thai place memory. “Khuang” often refers to an open communal area or village space, while “pao” comes from the pao trees associated with the temple’s original landscape. The word “Tai,” meaning south, was later used to distinguish this temple from Wat Khuang Pao Nuea in Khuang Pao Subdistrict. This distinction is important because both temples are located in Chom Thong District and share a related place-name tradition.

 

The temple is located in Ban Pae Subdistrict, a southern area of Chom Thong District. Ban Pae has a varied landscape that includes agricultural plains, communities along the Ping River and Chaem River, and western upland areas connected with Doi Inthanon National Park and Op Luang National Park. This setting places Wat Khuang Pao Tai within a wider rural and cultural landscape rather than a purely urban temple environment.

 

Ban Pae Subdistrict is connected by Highway 108, the Chiang Mai-Hot route. This road links Chiang Mai city, Chom Thong, Hot, and the southern part of Chiang Mai Province. Wat Khuang Pao Tai can therefore be included as a local temple stop for travelers moving through the Chiang Mai-Hot corridor, especially those interested in village Buddhism, local place names, and the cultural geography of Chom Thong District.

 

The temple land covers 6 rai and 2 ngan. Its boundaries touch public roads on all four sides: north, south, east, and west. This shows that the temple is integrated into the village road network and is accessible to local residents from different directions. The temple also has one plot of monastic land measuring 6 rai, which supports the temple’s long-term religious and community functions.

 

The main monastic structures include a sermon hall and monks’ residences. These buildings are fundamental for a village temple. The sermon hall supports merit-making, Dhamma listening, Buddhist ceremonies, and community gatherings, while the monks’ residences provide space for resident monks to live and carry out daily monastic practice.

 

The current abbot identified in travel information for the temple is Phra Boon Yuen Chanthawongso. In a community temple, the abbot’s role is central. He oversees monastic life, maintains temple activities, coordinates with lay supporters, and helps guide the religious life of the surrounding community.

 

Older temple records list several past abbots, including Phra Kham Chum Khiao, Phra Boontha Wongkiti, Phra Khru Siribunyaphinan, and Phra Phrommin Chawathukho. The presence of a recorded abbot lineage shows that Wat Khuang Pao Tai has been maintained across generations and has remained part of the local Buddhist landscape for a long period.

 

Wat Khuang Pao Tai also has a history of Buddhist education. The temple record states that a Dhamma study school was opened in 1953. This is significant because many village temples historically served not only as places of worship but also as places of learning, moral training, and Buddhist education for monks, novices, and members of the local community.

 

The temple’s origin story is especially important. The area was once known for many pao trees. As people settled there and a temple was built, the tree name became part of the village and temple identity. Such naming patterns are common in northern Thailand, where temple names often preserve older ecological, agricultural, or landscape features of the community.

 

For travelers interested in Chom Thong’s local temple network, Wat Khuang Pao Tai provides a useful counterpoint to more widely known destinations such as Wat Phrathat Si Chom Thong Worawihan or Doi Inthanon. It represents the quieter layer of Buddhist life: a village temple that remains meaningful to its community even when it is not widely promoted as a tourist attraction.

 

Getting There is possible from Chiang Mai city by taking Highway 108 south toward Chom Thong and Ban Pae Subdistrict. Travelers should search for the full name “Wat Khuang Pao Tai, Ban Pae, Chom Thong” to avoid confusion with Wat Khuang Pao Nuea in Khuang Pao Subdistrict. The full name is especially important because both temples share the Khuang Pao name.

 

The temple is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00. Morning and late afternoon are the most comfortable times to visit. Visitors who plan to join specific ceremonies such as Kathin, robe-offering events, or local merit-making days should check with local residents or temple representatives in advance.

 

Visitors should dress modestly, speak quietly, avoid disturbing monks and local worshippers, remove shoes before entering religious buildings, and avoid entering monks’ residential areas without permission. Photography should be respectful and should not intrude on monastic or private spaces. Since Wat Khuang Pao Tai is an active village temple, respectful conduct is essential.

 

Wat Khuang Pao Tai can be combined with Wat Tha Kham Ban Pae, Wat Ban Pae, Chom Thong town, Wat Phrathat Si Chom Thong Worawihan, the Ban Pae rural landscape, the Ban Khun Pae Royal Project area, and Op Luang National Park, depending on available time and travel direction. This route is suitable for travelers who want to see both Buddhist community life and the natural-cultural landscape of southern Chom Thong District.

 

In summary, Wat Khuang Pao Tai is a Mahanikaya community temple in Ban Khuang Pao Tai, Moo 6, Ban Pae Subdistrict, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. Built on 9 January 1902, the temple is important for its place-name history, its connection with pao trees, its role as a local Buddhist center, its sermon hall and monks’ residences, its monastic land, and its history of Dhamma education. It is a meaningful stop for travelers seeking a quieter and more local Buddhist experience in the Chiang Mai-Hot travel corridor.

 

 

A: Wat Khuang Pao Tai is located at 25 Ban Khuang Pao Tai, Moo 6, Ban Pae Subdistrict, Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province.

 

A: Wat Khuang Pao Tai is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00.

 

A: Wat Khuang Pao Tai was built on 9 January 1902.

 

A: The name comes from pao trees that once grew abundantly in the area. The word “Tai” was added to distinguish it from Wat Khuang Pao Nuea in Chom Thong District.

 

A: Wat Khuang Pao Tai belongs to the Mahanikaya order.

 

A: The temple includes a sermon hall, monks’ residences, worship areas, community merit-making areas, and one plot of monastic land measuring 6 rai.

 

A: The abbot of Wat Khuang Pao Tai is Phra Boon Yuen Chanthawongso.

 

A: From Chiang Mai city, take Highway 108 south toward Chom Thong and Ban Pae Subdistrict. Search for Wat Khuang Pao Tai, Ban Pae, Chom Thong, for accurate navigation.